March and April 2017 - The Courier

The

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COURIER

Easter Sunday April 16

March & April 2017

Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona, MN

Springtime of the Church

Candidates and Catechumens Celebrate the Rite of Election

By SR. MARA LESTER

�onachtheofLenten us has been journeying in recent months having focused Season and, soon, Easter. We have focused our

attention on turning away from sin and being more faithful to the Gospel and to entering into the joy of the Resurrection.

For a longer duration than the 40 days of Lent, the catechumens and candidates in our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program have made a commitment to pursue the Catholic faith, and have sought growth toward God. Many dedicated per-

Catholics at the Capitol Draws Over 1,000

ST. PAUL - March 9 saw St. Paul's RiverCentre and the Minnesota State Capitol abuzz with more than 1,000 Catholics - including a contingent of 90 from the Diocese of Winona - who had come to meet their lawmakers, cultivate civic friendship, and advocate for legislation that promotes human life and dignity, at Minnesota Catholic Conference's inaugural Catholics at the Capitol. Every senate district in the state was represented.

The first part of the day took place in

sons and local parishes assisted them in careful instruction and supported each person as he or she gained knowledge and love of the Catholic Faith.

On March 5, 2017, the first Sunday of Lent, our catechumens (RCIA participants who have never been baptized) traveled to Queen of Angels Church in Austin to publicly affirm their intention to join the Church, and our candidates (those who have been baptized in other Christian denominations) expressed their desire to participate in the full sacramental life of the Church.

Springtime, cont'd on pg. 5

Capitol, cont'd on pg. 18

INSIDE this issue

Why Fast? page 5

Remembering McCorvey

Norma page 7

A Message from the New Program Manager page 12

Pope Francis Watch

The Courier Insider

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Photo Credit: CNA

Pope: Always Give to the Homeless

By CAROL GLATZ VATICAN CITY, Feb. 28, 2017 (Catholic News Service) - People who don't give money to the homeless because they think it will be spent on alcohol and not food should ask themselves what guilty pleasures they are secretly spending money on, Pope Francis said.

"There are many excuses" to justify why one doesn't lend a hand when asked by a person begging on the street, he said in an interview published the day before the beginning of Lent.

But giving something to someone in need "is always right," and it should be done with respect and compassion because "tossing money and not looking in (their) eyes is not a Christian" way of behaving, he said.

The interview, published Feb. 28, was conducted by the monthly magazine, Scarp de' Tenis (Tennis Shoes), which serves homeless and marginalized people in Milan and is run by the local and national Caritas branches. The pope was scheduled to visit Milan March 25.

Of the several questions the pope was asked, one focused on whether he thought giving money to people begging on the street was the right thing to do.

One thing people may tell themselves to feel better about not giving anything, the pope said, is "I give money and then he spends it on drinking a glass of wine."

But, the pope said, if "a glass of wine is the only happiness he has in life, that's OK. Instead, ask yourself what do you do on the sly? What 'happiness' do you seek in secret?"

Or, another way to look at it, the pope said, is recognize how "you are luckier, with a house, a wife, children" and then ask why should the responsibility to help be pushed March & April, 2017 w The Courier

Articles of Interest

Vision and Mission____________________4 Why Fast?___________________________5 Renewing Our Encounter with Christ__6 Remembering Norma McCorvey________7 Catholic Schools Updates__________8 InterMission________________________9 Think Local________________________10 A Deacon's Role in SVdP____________11 ...New Program Manager____________12 ...Crass and Tacky?__________________13 Lifting Up Those Reaching Out_______14 Family Farming_____________________15 Divine Mercy Sunday________________16 Diocesan Headlines_________________20 Diocesan Calendar__________________23

onto someone else.

The way one reaches out to the person asking for help is important, he said, and The Holy Father's Intentions must be done "by looking them in the eyes March, 2017 and touching their hands."

Support for Persecuted Christians: That persecuted When encountering people who live on Christians may be supported by the prayers and material the street, the pope said he always greets help of the whole Church. them and sometimes inquires about their April, 2017 lives and background.

Young People: That young people may respond generously He always chatted with a homeless to their vocations and seriously consider offering themselves family and couple that lived next to the to God in the priesthood or consecrated life. archbishop's residence in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he said, and never considered Vist www.dow.org for getting rid of them.

When "Someone told me, 'They're online access to: The Courier making the chancery filthy,' Well, the filth TV Mass is within" one's heart, he said.

Diocesan News It's important to be sincere because Our Events Calendar "people who live on the streets understand and more! right away when the other person is really interested" in them as a person or when Child Abuse Policy Information they just feel pity, he said.

Diocese of Winona - Child Sexual Abuse Policy Information "One can look at a homeless person The Diocese of Winona will provide a prompt, appropriate and compassionate and see him as a person or else as if he response to reporters of sexual abuse of a child by any diocesan agent (employwere a dog, and they notice this different ees, volunteers, vendors, religious or clergy). Anyone wishing to make a report of an allegation of sexual abuse should call the Victim Assistance Coordinator way of looking" at them, he said.

507-454-2270, Extension 255. A caller will be asked to provide his or her When the interviewer asked why the at name and telephone number. Individuals are also encouraged to take their pope thought the poor were capable of reports directly to civil authorities. The Diocese of Winona is committed to changing the world, he said that in his protecting children, young people and other vulnerable people in our schools, and ministries. The diocesan policy is available on the diocesan web experience in Buenos Aires, he saw more parishes site at www.dow.org under the Safe Environment Program. If you have any solidarity in the slums than in less poor questions about the Diocese of Winona’s implementation of the Charter for neighborhoods, where "I encountered the Protection of Children and Young People, please contact Mary Hamann at 507-858-1244, or mhamann@dow.org. more selfishness."

While there are many more problems The Courier is the Official Publication of the Diocese of Winona 55 West Sanborn, P.O. Box 588, Winona, MN 55987 in the shantytowns, "often the poor are Vol 108 - 3 more supportive of each other because Most Reverend John M. Quinn, Publisher they feel they need each other."

Nick Reller, Associate Editor Also, he said, problems are more starkly evident in the poor neighborhoods, for Telephone: 507-858-1257 Fax:507-454-8106 E-mail: nreller@dow.org Subscription Rates: $5 per year in the U.S. Parishioners in the Winona example with substance abuse, "you see Diocese subscribe through their parish. Periodicals postage paid at Madelia, MN more drugs, but only because it's more Postmaster.

Publishing Schedule: Monthly - Deadline for advertising & articles is the 'covered up' in other neighborhoods" 10th of the month prior. where users are "white-collar" abusers.

(ISSN 0744-5490)

Nice!

Divine Mercy - A Gift of Grace �

ear Friends in Christ, Divine Mercy

Rejoice in Hope Bishop John M. Quinn Bishop's Calendar

Catholics at the Capitol On Thursday, March 9, I, along with my brother bishops of Minnesota and more than 1,000 Catholics from across the state, gathered together in St. Paul for the first ever Catholics at the Capitol. The day started with Mass and was filled with dynamic speakers, prayer, and the opportunity to speak with our lawmakers. I want to thank the many people who took the day off from work or school so they could attend; those who came were of all ages and walks of life. It was inspiring to see so many Catholics who not only desire to be informed regarding the issues we are currently facing in our state, but are also willing to sacrifice their time to get involved and let their voices be heard at the Capitol.

Pope Francis has spoken throughout his pontificate of the importance of Catholics being involved in politics, and, as I told the Catholics at the Capitol participants at the end of the day, "We are not going to be afraid.

We are not going to withdraw from the culture that more than ever needs the truth of Jesus Christ."

It is important that the voices of Catholics are not silent in matters of

public policy.

There are always many bills and issues that are written and voted on during each legislative session. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming to stay informed about the issues at stake. This is why the Minnesota bishops are prioritizing three issues of particular concern this year, which were presented in more depth at Catholics at the Capitol: tax credits for school choice, the state's cash grant program, and physicianassisted suicide.

Physician-Assisted Suicide Physician-assisted suicide is not only very troubling, but it is also gaining traction in our society, as numerous countries and states legalize the practice. However, as Catholics, we know that God created each one of us in His image and likeness and that He alone is the author of life. This means that none of us have the right to decide when to end our life or the life of another person.

Both physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia - in which the doctor actually administers a lethal prescription himself - are direct killing of human life. Suicide is always a tragedy, and promoting the idea that physician-assisted suicide is good for society creates two classes of citizens - those who are young, healthy, and deemed worthy of saving at all costs, and those whose lives are considered disposable. We must never tire of proclaiming to the world that all human life is precious and a gift from God, and it is our duty to protect and defend it.

Our faith calls us to walk alongside those who are old, terminally ill, or depressed; to be present to them; and to help to alleviate their suffering. Many people are afraid of being a burden to their loved ones, or are scared that they will face unbearable pain.

It is important to educate people about the practice of palliative care, which focuses on providing relief

from pain for the patient, and also on improving the quality of life for the patient and family. With many advances in medical technology, we now have ways for the sick to live out their final days with minimal pain and a high quality of life. It is also important that we surround the sick with love and the gift of our presence. Life is much more bearable and joyful when one is surrounded by family and friends.

Instead of offering those who are ill the option of ending their lives, we should help them see that every day God gives is worth living.

Some people might protest that we should allow physician-assisted suicide, even if we personally do not agree with the practice.

However, every suicide is a tragic death to be avoided, regardless of whether we are speaking about the life of a stranger, friend or family member. Furthermore, when this deadly practice is legalized, there is often pressure from society doctors, family, and friends - for us to end our or a loved one's life.

Those who are depressed or lonely might easily succumb to the idea that life is no longer worth living.

There have also been cases where insurance companies have refused to cover the cost of chemotherapy for cancer patients, but have instead offered to cover lethal prescriptions to end the patient's life. Legalized physician-assisted suicide not only fails to uphold the truth that all human life is sacred, but it also opens the door to abuse of those who are vulnerable and most in need of protection. It is important for Catholics to recognize the danger of physician-assisted suicide and to let our lawmakers know that we can support those who are elderly or ill without having recourse to physician-assisted suicide.

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men from around the Diocese of Winona in attendance. On April 8, Catholic men will once again have the opportunity to gather for a day of inspiring talks, opportunities for prayer, and time for fellowship with other men.

Our Triune God created men and women equal in dignity, but with complementary roles and gifts; it is important for men to be able to gather with other men and be strengthened in their identity as sons of the Heavenly Father and in their role as fathers, leaders, and protectors of those God has put in their lives.

This year's keynote speaker is Curtis Martin, founder and CEO of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). I will be celebrating Mass, and the day will also include lunch, the Sacrament of Confession, Adoration, and time to learn about men's groups in the diocese. The world needs men strong in faith who are willing to boldly live out their call to discipleship, so I encourage all men in the diocese to mark your calendars for Man of God on April 8 at Lourdes High School in Rochester, for a day of encouragement, prayer, and fraternal community. You can register for the men's conference at www.dow.org, and questions may be directed to Rosalie Beyer at 507858-1259 or rbeyer@dow.org.

From the Bishop

Last year we celebrated the Jubilee Year of Mercy. During that year, we had the opportunity to place a renewed focus on the mercy of the Triune God and our need to receive that mercy and extend it to others.

However, even though the Jubilee Year of Mercy has ended, every spring we celebrate God's mercy in a particular way on the Sunday after Easter, which in the year 2000, St. Pope John Paul II instituted as Divine Mercy Sunday.

Here in the Diocese of Winona, many parishes hold special celebrations on Divine Mercy Sunday. Often these include Eucharistic Adoration, the opportunity for Confession, music, and the praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I encourage you to find out what events will be taking place in or near your parish. Pope Francis has

spoken frequently of how God never tires of forgiving us, but it is we who tire of asking for His forgiveness!

May we never grow tired of seeking the Lord's mercy and love!

One of the devotional practices associated with Divine Mercy is the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Prayed on ordinary rosary beads, the chaplet is a beautiful way to meditate on the Lord's mercy, and to ask Him to bestow it upon us. At the diocesan office in Winona, we pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet every Friday at 3 p.m., the hour of mercy when Christ died on the cross for our sins. You can pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy alone or with others, and at any time of the day. It is especially a beautiful prayer to pray together as a family.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

Sincerely in Christ,

Man of God - 2nd Annual Diocesan Men's Conference Last year the Diocese of Winona hosted a successful inaugural Man of God men's conference, with many

Most Rev. John M. Quinn Bishop of Winona

March 20, Monday – March 23, Thursday USCCB Administrative Board Meeting – Washington D.C.

April 8, Saturday 11:15 am – Mass – DOW Men’s Conference – Lourdes High School, Rochester

April 20, Thursday 1 pm – Holy Hour 2 pm – Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting

Church, St. Clair; with St. Ann Church, Janesville; All Saints Church, New Richland; and St. Joseph Church, Waldorf

March 24, Friday 7:45 am – Teach at SMU 6 pm – Mass – Rochester Federal Medical Center

April 9, Palm Sunday 10:30 am – Palm Sunday Liturgy – Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona 3 pm – Penance Service – Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona

April 21, Friday 7:45 am – Teach at SMU 6 pm – IHM Seminary Annual Bishops’ and Rector Dinner – Rochester International Event Center

April 28, Friday SMU Celebration of Scholarship and Honors Convocation – Winona

March 26, Sunday 9 am – Mass – Pax Christi Church, Rochester 10:45 am – Mass – Pax Christi Church, Rochester March 26, Sunday – March 29, Wednesday Presbyteral Triduum Retreat – Buffalo, MN March 31, Friday 7:45 am – Teach at SMU April 5, Wednesday 4:45 pm – Vespers and Mass – IHM Seminary April 6, Thursday 1 pm – Holy Hour 2 pm – Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting 5:30 pm – Mass and St. Vincent de Paul Lenten Soup & Bread Supper – St. Francis Church, Rochester April 7, Friday 7:45 am – Teach at SMU 1 pm – Clergy Personnel Board Meeting 7 pm – Cor Jesu – Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona

April 10, Monday 7 pm – Diocesan Chrism Mass – Resurrection Church, Rochester April 13, Holy Thursday 7 pm – Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper – Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona April 14, Good Friday 12 pm – Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord – Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona April 15, Holy Saturday 8 pm – Solemn Easter Vigil – Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona April 16, Easter Sunday 10:30 am – Solemn Easter Mass – Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona

April 22, Saturday 4:30 pm – Mass and Knights of Columbus Exemplification Banquet – Kato Ballroom, Mankato April 23, Divine Mercy Sunday 11 am – RCIA Candidate Reception and Confirmation – St. Thomas More Newman Center Parish, Mankato 7:30 pm – RCIA Candidate Reception and Confirmation – St. Thomas More Chapel at St. Mary University, Winona April 25, Tuesday 9:30 am – Holy Hour 10:30 am – Consultors Meeting April 26, Wednesday 11 am – DOW H.S. Seniors Baccalaureate Mass – Queen of Angels Church, Austin 6 pm – Confirmation at Immaculate Conception

April 29, Saturday 11 am – Confirmation – Resurrection Church, Rochester 4:30 pm – Mass – St. Marys Hospital Chapel, Rochester April 30, Sunday 11 am – Confirmation at St. Peter Church, Rose Creek, with Sacred Heart Church, Adams, and St. John Church, Johnsburg 2 pm – Confirmation – St. John the Evangelist Church, Rochester May 2, Tuesday 11 am - Holy Hour 12 pm – Deans Meeting – Albert Lea 2:30 pm – Clergy Personnel Board Meeting – Albert Lea May 3, Wednesday 7 pm – Confirmation at St. Mary Church, Caledonia, with St. Patrick Church, Brownsville March & April, 2017 w The Courier

Pastoral Planning

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Vision and Mission Ongoing Pastoral Planning

� ince becoming Vicar General last summer, I have

been given the responsibility of managing the pastoral planning process of the Diocese of Winona. This process began in late 2011 as the diocese enlisted professional consultants to study diocesan trends and generate initial plans to reorganize our parish clusters (then at 51) for 5 fewer priests. The process has unfolded in two phases so far.

“Phase I” of ongoing pastoral planning took place in 2012-13. It involved review of the initial studies by groups of priests and parish representatives at the deanery level, in the hopes of generating area plans for 46 clusters. “Phase II” unfolded in 2014-16. It involved synthesizing the area recommendations into workable plans across deanery lines and submitting them to local review. The Phase II progression was styled “VISION 2016” and concluded by summer of that year.

The timeline and results have been regularly published in the Courier, and are detailed online at http://dow.org/ about/vision-2016.html.

As Phase II concluded, pastors of all proposed clusters submitted detailed local plans to our office for consideration by diocesan representatives. Our review has been complicated by several intervening factors. First there was a leadership transition in the diocesan planning office itself, as I assumed my responsibilities for planning along with other administrative duties. A second factor involved the makeup of the clusters themselves: some involved no sig-

March & April, 2017 w The Courier

nificant change; some involved re-clustering and mergers which were ready to proceed (and indeed, 4 clusters have combined into 2); and others produced mixed results or involved other complications which have required a more extended timeline than originally envisioned.

In some cases, the more extended timeline was due to a delay in priest personnel transitions that was not originally foreseen. Priests who originally planned to retire sooner, chose to say on in active service, such that a recommended new cluster was postponed. In others, various civil and canonical juridical complications have arisen. Local legal counsel is assisting such parishes as various courts adjudicate these complex matters on an uncertain timeline.

In others, parishioners desire to adjust their own initial recommendations based on further reflection or input.

However, the most significant complicating factor likely stems from the number of clusters originally envisioned for the Phase I process – namely 5 fewer (i.e. from 51 to 46 clusters). This assumption was generated five years ago, and was likely too optimistic; indeed, much has changed in five years’ time. The projected pace of priestly retirements and ordinations is very fluid, as an older generation transitions

away from active ministry, and fewer priests are available to take their place. This may require producing additional recommendations for even fewer parish clusters than originally anticipated.

Thus, additional plans for cluster reductions may need to be generated to address this need, sooner rather than later. These would not replace the VISION 2016 recommendations, but rather supplement them in a fashion yet to be determined. It is likely, then, that these realities require pastoral planning to remain ongoing.

In the coming weeks I hope to review these questions with our bishop and my brother priests who share vari-

Msgr. Tom Melvin Vicar General tmelvin@dow.org

ous leadership roles on his behalf. I will continue to use the Courier to update you as time and circumstance permit. I thank all who have participated in the first two phases of planning to date, and ask for your continued patience and understanding as we consider next steps and possible options. I hope you will join me in praying, that this labor may be brought to completion in accord with the Lord’s “vision and mission” for the church.

Why Fast?

“And...those that have run the race and won have been men and women of prayer and fasting.”

So what, in essence, is fasting?

It's “the deprivation of the good, in order to make a decision for a greater good,” explained Deacon Carnazzo.

It is most commonly associated with abstention from food, although it can also take the form of giving up other goods like comforts and entertainment.

The current fasting obligation for Latin Catholics in the United States is this: all over the age of 14 must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays in Lent. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, adults age 18 to 59 must fast – eating no more than one full meal and two

smaller meals that together do not add up in quantity to the full meal.

Catholics, “if possible,” can continue the Good Friday fast through Holy Saturday until the Easter Vigil, the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference adds.

Other Fridays throughout the year (aside from Friday within the Octave of Easter) “are penitential days and times throughout the entire Church,” according to Canon Law 1250.

Catholics once abstained from meat on all Fridays, but the US bishops received permis-

Faith Formation

WASHINGTON D.C., Mar. 3, 2017 (CNA/EWTN News) - God commanded it, Jesus practiced it, Church Fathers have preached the importance of it – fasting is a powerful and fundamental part of the Christian life.

But for many Catholics today, it's more of an afterthought: something we grudgingly do on Good Friday, perhaps on Ash Wednesday if we remember it. Would we fast more, especially during Lent, if we understood how helpful it is for our lives?

The answer to this, say both saints of the past and experts today, is a resounding “yes.”

“Let us take for our standard and for our example those that have run the race, and have won,” said Deacon Sabatino Carnazzo, founding executive director of the Institute of Catholic Culture and a deacon at Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek Catholic Church in McLean, VA, of the saints.

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Why Fast, cont'd on pg. 22

Sr. Mara Lester, R.S.M. Interim Director faithformation@dow.org

Springtime, cont'd from pg. 1

In the presence of Bishop Quinn, the catechumens inscribed their names in the Book of the Elect, which will be displayed at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona for the entirety of the Easter Season, and the candidates warmly greeted him. Through this rite, the catechumens have come to be considered the “elect.” The elect and candidates will now spend the remainder of Lent intensely preparing for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation and full reception into communion with the Catholic Church at this year's Easter Vigil.

"You are the springtime of the Church," Bishop Quinn told catechumens and candidates in his homily, which was translated into Spanish by Fr. Raúl Silva. "Because of you, we know the church is growing and the gospel is being spread. ... You will be the good news, written for a new generation, written for your neighbors, written for your coworkers. Sisters and brothers, how proud I am of you, and so grateful to have you!"

May we continue to offer our congratulations and prayers for the 152 newly baptized and confirmed members of the Diocese of Winona, especially as they continue their formation and education. Their journey, in participating more fully in the sacramental life of the Church, brings growth not only to local parishes but also to our diocesan church. May each of us recognize the gift we have in the sacramental life of the Church, and may our joy abound during this Easter Season!

I leave you with these beautiful photos from the Rite of Election.

March & April, 2017 w The Courier

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Renewing Our Encounter with Christ Todd Graff

Lay Formation

Director tgraff@dow.org

Lazarus’ Lesson for Us: “The other person is a gift.”

There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptiously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores.

- Luke 16:19-20

�

ecently, I was in the Twin Cities with three of my sons who were going to a Timberwolves basketball game that evening.

We were staying at a downtown hotel, and there was a skyway connecting our hotel to the restaurant we had dinner at before the game.

After my sons headed to the Target Center for the game, I was walking back to the hotel on my own. I met a middle-aged woman who was pulling a suitcase behind her. She approached me and told me that she lived in the skyway.

She asked if I had any money so that she could get something to eat. I offered her some cash from my pocket.

She looked at me with gratitude and said, “God bless you.”

March & April, 2017 w The Courier

And, then, we parted ways.

As I was reading Pope Francis’ Lenten message, I recalled my brief encounter with this homeless woman. In this year’s message, our Holy Father asks us to reflect on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), and to allow this story “to exhort us to sincere conversion.”

I realized, in reflecting on my experience, that I was the “rich man [who had] dined sumptuously,” and that Lazarus in the person of this vulnerable woman had come to my “door” seeking my aid. In that moment of encounter with her, I remembered that Pope Francis has asked us not only to give something to the person in need but also to give of our attention as well. I had tried to do so, if only for a moment. But I could have done more.

Over my life, I have had several such encounters – some here in Winona, but more in the bigger cities where I lived earlier in my life, such as Omaha, Boston, Milwaukee, and Chicago. In almost every encounter, the person approaching me for assistance has been gracious and humble, and has almost always responded to my offering of some money with sincere gratitude and the words, “God bless you!”

As I have pondered these experiences, I have asked myself if I would be so gracious, and so grateful, if I were the one without food, without shelter, without security. Wouldn’t I be resentful of the one who had the things I did not? Wouldn’t I receive their charity with some feeling of bitterness, knowing that they likely could afford to give much more? Truly, as Pope Francis reminds me, I am still in need of a deeper conversion.

In his Lenten message, the pope first notes that this season “urgently calls us to conversion.” We are asked “to return to God ‘with all our hearts’ (cf. Joel 2:12), to refuse to settle for mediocrity and to grow in friendship with the Lord.” To assist us, the Church offers us the traditional disciplines of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. And she invites us also “to hear and ponder more deeply” the word of God. To help guide us on this Lenten path, Pope Francis cites Saint Luke’s parable of the rich man and Lazarus as “a key to understanding what we need to do in order to attain true happiness and eternal life.” More specifically, he draws out three points of reflection from the parable.

Of the two main characters in the parable, more is revealed about the poor man, Lazarus, as his life is described in some detail. His is a “picture of great misery … a man disgraced and pitiful.” The rich man does not even have a name in the story, but we know that he lives a life of some extravagance and vanity.

Lazarus teaches us that, although he is practically invisible to the rich man and an outcast in society, he is “an individual with his own story” and “a human being whom God loves and cares for.”

For us, then, an essential task on the path of conversion is “to open the doors of our heart to others” so as to see each person we encounter as “a priceless treasure” and “a gift” to us – “whether it be our neighbor or an anonymous pauper.” Ultimately, we are called to see in each person “the face of Christ,” the face of a sister or brother who deserves our “acceptance, respect and love.”

The Rich Man’s Lesson for Us: “Sin blinds us.”

The rich man also experiences misery in the story, but his comes from a very different set of circumstances. He is imprisoned by his greed and by his attention to the “outward appearances” offered by his wealth. His is an “interior emptiness” which blinds him to the “poor man who is starving, hurting, lying at his door.”

The love of riches has corrupted him spiritually, leaving him “chained … to the most superficial and fleeting aspects of existence,” bound up by “a selfish logic that leaves no room for love and hinders peace.”

Lent’s Lesson for Us: “The Word is a gift.”

Pope Francis sums up the message of this parable in terms of our response to the word of God in our lives. The “root” of the rich man’s misery and corruption was “the failure to heed God’s word.” Resulting from his choice not to listen and to attend to the divine message, “he no longer loved God and grew to despise his neighbor.” These are the two “great commandments” of scripture – to love God, first, and to love one’s neighbor.

So, the lesson for us, then, is to remain in God’s holy word, to attend to it, to ponder it, to pray with it, and to allow it to form and to transform us: •

To form our minds for understanding God’s command and His wisdom in our lives.

•

To form our hearts to love as God loves and so to live in genuine communion within our families, our neighborhoods, and our communities.

•

To form our hands to serve Christ in the neighbor we encounter at our door and along our path in life and in the world.

Pope Francis reminds us that God’s word is “alive and powerful, capable of converting hearts and leading them back to God.” To open our hearts to God’s word, in this holy season, is to open our hearts “to the gift of our brothers and sisters.” Deo Gratias!

Dear friends, Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with Christ.... May the Holy Spirit lead us on a true journey of conversion, so that we can rediscover the gift of God's word, be purified of the sin that blinds us, and serve Christ present in our brothers and sisters in need.

-Pope Francis, Message for Lent 2017

Remembering Norma McCorvey

By MATT HADRO

Sharing the Good News

Basic Evangelization Training Saturday, June 10 - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

St. John the Evangelist Parish, Rochester

Every Sunday at the close of Mass, the priest echoes Jesus' call as he invites us, "Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord."

Have you ever considered this calling? What is keeping you from sharing the Good News with others? Are you nervous, scared, shy, not sure how to start? St. Paul Street Evangelization is ready to help you!

On Saturday, June 10, the diocese will host a Basic Evangelization Training, led by St. Paul Street Evangelization (SPSE), a grass-roots apostolate whose mission is to share the Good News about Jesus and the beauty and truth of the Catholic Church that Jesus founded. SPSE also trains Catholics to share the Faith with family members and people they meet every day (visit streetevangelization.com).

Participants will have the option to go out and evangelize immediately following the training. The registration fee is $25, which covers training, materials, and lunch. Scholarships are available upon request.

For more information, visit the diocesan Office of Lay Formation web page at www.dow.org/offices/ lay-formation/index). You may also contact Todd Graff, Director of Lay Formation (507-8581270 / tgraff@dow.org) or Deb McManimon, SPSE Regional Missionary (507-271-1737 / dmcmanimon72@gmail.com).

Norma McCorvey in 2001. Photo Credit: CNA giving her daughter up for adoption. She is the mother of three daughters.

Though she worked at an abortion clinic and later revealed herself as the “Jane Roe” of the Supreme Court decision, she had a sudden turn in the 1990s, joining the pro-life movement and becoming a Christian.

“Norma suffered tremendously at the hands of those who cared more about the institution of abortion than this courageous woman’s life,” said Dannenfelser.

McCorvey started the group Roe No More to try to overturn the Roe decision and reverse its cultural consequences, and was involved with the group Operation Rescue for a time.

She said, “Upon knowing God, I realized that my case which legalized abortion on demand was the biggest mistake of my life,” adding that “abortion scars an untold number of post-abortive mothers, fathers, and families too.”

Though already baptized a Christian, McCorvey felt called to enter the Catholic Church. As she related in an article for the group Priests for Life, she had attended Catholic Masses as a child with her mother, who was Roman Catholic.

“I liked it so much and was often moved to tears. I felt the presence of God,” she wrote. “There was something very moving about the Catholic ritual and symbolism – the procession with the priest and altar boys, the incense, cross, and candles, the statues and the music. I knew God was everywhere, but in Catholic churches, I always felt especially close to Him.” Tom Peterson, president and founder of VirtueMedia, recalled meeting McCorvey as he interviewed her on her conversion to Catholicism and her decision to become prolife.

“Here is a woman who deeply regrets her decision, who had the courage and the faith to put her face on national television on this message,” he said, a message “to help heal those wounds, to help unknot a very complicated

7 Life, Marriage & Family

WASHINGTON D.C., Feb. 20, 2017 (CNA/EWTN News) Norma McCorvey, the “Jane Roe” who was the plaintiff in the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that found a legal right to abortion, died on Saturday, February 18, at the age of 69.

As the woman at the center of the case legalizing abortion in the U.S. passed away, pro-life leaders hailed her ultimate conversion on the issue and her ensuing struggles to promote life.

“Ultimately, Norma’s story after Roe was not one of bitterness but of forgiveness. She chose healing and reconciliation in her Christian faith,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List, stated after McCorvey’s passing.

“She overcame the lies of the abortion industry and its advocates and spoke out against the horror that still oppresses so many,” Dannenfelser added. “In her memory and in her honor, we will carry on that work, and we pray for her eternal peace.”

McCorvey had sued the state of Texas when she was pregnant with her third child and wanted an abortion, which was illegal in the state.

“Back in 1973, I was a very confused 21-year-old with one child and facing an unplanned pregnancy,” McCorvey said in a recent interview posted by VirtueMedia.

Her case was believed to be a rape pregnancy, but she later revealed she had lied about the situation.

“Many believe that she was very much coerced into that situation and was encouraged to lie about the situation being the result of a rape,” Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life, commented on McCorvey’s case.

There was “a lot of manipulation and lies and pressure” behind her case, she added.

McCorvey’s case went to the Supreme Court which issued the Roe decision, legalizing abortion in all 50 states.

Since 1973, there have been over 50 million abortions in the U.S. Yet, as in another abortion case, Doe v. Bolton – decided the same day as Roe v. Wade – neither plaintiff had an abortion, and both women eventually “had this radical conversion to the truth and dedicated their lives to really protecting the inherent dignity of the human person,” Mancini said.

Despite winning in court, McCorvey never had the abortion she sought, instead carrying her child to term and

situation that she was a party to.”

“She carried a great price for that,” he added.

“She said it was so heavy on her heart that 50 million babies had died because of her participation in this case.

And she talked about the number of wounded women out there who took part in abortion because of her involvement.”

“She suffers great anxiety, and she suffered great physical and mental spiritual battles for many years,” Peterson said.

VirtueMedia has launched JaneRoe.com, featuring McCorvey’s testimony and those of mothers who have had abortions and regret them.

When McCorvey decided to enter the Church, she received the sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation. After the Mass, she recalled what she felt during the Liturgy of the Eucharist: "I had been taught what this meant. Jesus was not dying again. Rather, He was drawing us all into His sacrifice, making it present to us, allowing us to join our lives, our sufferings, to His. This was and is the sacrifice that saves the world, that conquers the power of death and destroys the power of abortion. There and then, I could place in the chalice all the tears I had ever shed over the aborted babies, all the shame I ever felt from having worked in an abortion clinic and having been a poster-girl for the prodeath movement. There and then, just as the bread and wine were being transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, the former Jane Roe could once again rejoice in her own transformation into a new creature in Christ."

Catholics and pro-life leaders offered prayers for her, her family, and all the victims of abortion.

“Now, with Norma’s passing, we certainly pray for the repose of her soul. We certainly pray for her and the aborted babies and the mothers who have passed away, and are now in heaven or purgatory to pray for our country during this pivotal time,” Peterson said.

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Winona's Catholic Schools Sign Collaborative Memorandum

Catholic Schools

8

Marsha Stenzel Superintendent mstenzel@dow.org

(L to R) Fr. Mark McNea, Msgr. Thomas Hargesheimer, Fr. James Berning, Bishop John M. Quinn, St. Mary's University President Br. William Mann, Cotter Schools President Sr. Judith Schaefer, WACS Principal Pat Bowlin, and Superintendent Marsha Stenzel

and enhance pre-school through graduate-level Catholic education in Winona. The parties (Winona Area Catholic Schools, Cotter Schools and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota) will provide services to one another in the areas of professional development, faith formation and capacity building, and foster a shared commitment to community needs. They will work to enhance collaborative programs that already occur on an individual basis as well as to introduce and facilitate new initiatives.

Catholic education is rooted in the Gospel message of love of God and neighbor. This integration of personal faith and responsibility to serve the common good are core tenets of Christian living. It is the responsibility of Catholic education to ensure each student's intellectual growth is united with spiritual, religious, emotional, and social growth. Catholic education in Winona is available for all, and at every level, from pre-school through graduate programs.

WINONA - The Catholic educational insti- into a Collaborative Memorandum of Understanding to tutions of Winona have committed to a promote the values and purposes of Catholic education. significant partnership aimed at fostering The agreement was signed on Friday, February 3, foland strengthening academic excellence lowing the 10 a.m. Catholic Schools Mass celebrated by immersed in the rich Catholic tradition from the Most Reverend John M. Quinn at the Basilica of St. pre-school through graduate-level educa- Stanislaus Kostka in Winona.

The goals of the memorandum are to coordinate and tion.

Winona Area Catholic Schools, Cotter share the academic resources and professional experSchools and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota entered tise of the member institutions in order to strengthen fied for the MN girls state hockey tournaThe truth, though, is that it really isn't ment is a member of our co-op team with about the outcomes and top-place finishes, Mankato East. We've had terrific success as good as they feel. It really has been

By STEVE DORNBACH in Knowledge Bowl, and our speech team about the process - the process of being a oyola Catholic School has been on a has already received several top awards. part of something larger than any one of us bit of a run these past few weeks, with a Three students will compete in the regional and being able to contribute, share talents state champion one-act play performance, science fair and could very well qualify for and support, and to find success together robotics team state qualifiers for both the the national science fair, just as they did in whatever form it takes. high school and middle school, a regional last year. One of our seniors is among only What we are ultimately realizing is spelling bee qualifier, and a girls’ basket- 10 in Minnesota to receive the Horatio that, even beyond the recent successes ball team that includes a Ms. Minnesota Alger Minnesota Scholarship, and many and the process, it all comes down to the basketball nominee and is ranked in the seniors are receiving substantial scholar- opportunity. We know how blessed we top 10 in the State. The boys’ basketball ship monies for their demonstrated leader- are as a Catholic school to be able to proteam has outperformed all expectations ship and service. We're pretty proud here vide such opportunities, to have students this season, and a student who has quali- in Mankato! participate in multiple activities (we have

News from Loyola

�

A Year at St. Mary's, Caledonia

By BR. ROGER BETZOLD

�morning ast year St. Mary’s initiated Monday convocation. It is good for our

school community to start the week off with all school prayer. We gather in the gym and start with a community prayer service, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, announcements and whatever other business we need to cover. Several of the classes have taken responsibility to lead the prayer and assembly.

St. Mary’s School gymnasium was filled with activity during its Curriculum/ Culture Fair held on Wednesday, March 29. The 8th grade students hosted the annual science carnival, entertaining and educating guests with their science tricks, demonstrations, and explanations. Guests thoroughly enjoyed the 5th grade wax museum where they could speak with an important figure from American history.

The 7th grade students showcased their design and engineering skills as they demonstrated their Rube Goldberg machines, overly-engineered contraptions designed to perform a simple task. To promote better understanding and appreciation of people outside our own culture, students were able to interact with guests from India, Peru, Congo, Guatemala, and March & April, 2017 w The Courier

Colombia from St. Mary’s University. Each class explored different aspects of various cultures of the world. Displays of food, architecture, language, and art helped students realize the contributions of others to our multicultural society.

St. Mary’s school marathon was held Friday, September 30. The day began with an all school Mass followed by a light breakfast. After a blessing from Father Fasnacht, we were led out the door by the 8th graders. A delicious lunch was served by the Knights of Columbus. The afternoon was filled with fun in a bounce house, tattoos, minnow races, bake sale, music and dancing. A good time was had

by all! The school brought in $19,000.

February was “I Love to Read Month,” and kindergarten through third grade participated in many fun activities each week!

We started off the month by having a reading camp out in each classroom. The students also participated in a book swap and dressed up as their favorite book character. Throughout the month we had

to, we're small!) and to have kids discover talents and interests they never knew they had.

We view our place in the education spectrum as one that opens doors for kids, unlocks potential, and glorifies the gifts and abilities God has bestowed upon us all. We feel fortunate, blessed, graced and thankful to be a place where all kids can shine and all educators can share in the ultimate Glory of God. Steve Dornbach is the dean of students for Loyola Catholic School.

surprise guest readers and a book worm was created for every book that each student and class read. We ended our reading celebration by having a “Books and Breakfast” with the students and their parents.

St. Mary’s has a long-standing tradition of the eighth grade performing the Living Stations of the Cross during Lent.

This year is no exception, with the 8th graders pushing to start early and various students contending for the parts of Jesus and Mary. We will spend several weeks preparing to honor Jesus in our own special way. Our school community, parents and parish community will join us for this sacred event.

Br. Roger Betzold is principal of St. Mary's School in Caledonia.

InterMission: When Teens Need a Break!

Ben Frost

�t’s that time of year when winter turns to

spring and we all need a break from the grips of a busy winter. Breaks refresh us and rejuvenate our souls so that we can continue on in life with peace and joy. Hundreds of teens in our diocese recently gathered for a much needed break, an “InterMission” from the chaos of life.

InterMission is an evening rally where high school teens gather for Mass, food, a talk, and a time of prayer. It seems simple, but these evenings are truly blessed with the Lord’s grace. Our diocese hosts two of these events each February, one in Rochester (on February 25 this year) and the other in Adrian (on February 26 this year).

9 Youth & Young Adults

Director bfrost@dow.org

Annie Grandell gave the keynote presentation at both venues, as she encouraged the youth to grow deeper in their Catholic faith. Before stepping into her current role as the coordinator of YDisciple for the Augustine Institute in Denver, Annie was a youth minister in the Twin Cities. Jon Konz, a Catholic musician with roots in our diocese (Adrian) did a fantastic job leading praise and worship for Mass, Adoration and large group gathering time. Both events were a great success, and we thank everyone who made them possible. Yes, sometimes life gets busy and overwhelming. Remember that we all need breaks.

The Lord is always there, ready to meet us and give us His peace!

InterMission is an event provided by Partnership for Youth, the organization that runs the Steubenville Conference in Rochester. For more information about their organization and events please visit www.partnershipforyouth. org.

TEC 68

was held February 18-20, 2017, at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Mankato!

Our next TEC retreat will be held July 28-30 in Wells. For more information, please call Pathways TEC Coordinator Ann Full at 507-828-3675.

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10

Think Local

�romoting vocations is both simple

Vocations

and complex. It is simple in that we only have to encourage people to consider what life God has called them to. It is complex because that encouragement can, and often needs to, happen in many different ways. Vocations promotion occurs on many levels, from prayer to general encouragement to specific invitations. Discerning a vocation becomes all the more clear as an individual gains a combination of knowledge of vocations, self-awareness and the virtue of hope that is necessary to take a leap of faith in pursuing a vocation.

When all of these levels are considered, it is tempting either to say that it is too complex and not try, or to not see immediate fruit and give up. The secret to promoting vocations is the same as pursuing holiness in a specific vocation: perseverance.

The book entitled Hundredfold: A Guide to Parish Vocation Ministry, by Rhonda Guenewald, helps to provide some structure Hundredfold can be purchased online from to promoting vocations in a parish. This book vianneyvocations.com promotes local committees that are dedicated to raising awareness and promoting vocations do something our parish isn't ready for yet. within a parish. Focusing on your local parish Start small, then work your way up. And in all is a great way to promote vocations because, things, persevere! as Gruenewald says, not every activity in the There are some areas of our Diocese that book needs to be tried, but only those that are have Serra Clubs present, and many Knights most effective in your given environment. She of Columbus councils promote vocations. The presents different levels and types of activities model of a parish vocation ministry is not so that a vocation ministry can grow effectively. meant to supplant those groups or be in comSometimes we are frustrated by our vocational petition with them. Those groups could get efforts because we are unknowingly trying to ideas from this book, or there could be another

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Rev. Will Thompson Director wthompson@dow.org

committee dedicated to promoting vocations in the parish. The more we work together, the more we are able to take advantage of the gifts present in each group within a parish. Parish Vocation Ministry, like Serra Clubs or the Knights of Columbus, are meant to be coordinated by laity. The pastor will be invited to offer input and some presence, but overall, Gruenewald envisions this committee to be carried by a small group of dedicated parishioners seeking to build a culture of vocations locally.

While the Vocation Ministry envisioned

by Gruenewald is focused on raising up vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, the activities can be amended or added to fairly easily in order to also include marriage and single life. Each parish ministry is also to be considered, like any parish activity, as a part of a larger whole. Even though there are great benefits to focusing on vocations locally, we are part of the Diocesan and Universal Church as well. Any vocational efforts at a local level will only flourish more as they are joined to the efforts that go on beyond the parish, such as Camp Summit, Steubenville North and many other such activities. A comprehensive approach to vocations that includes local, regional and universal opportunities will help today's youth to consider not only what they want to do when they grow up, but who they and God want them to be.

Ultimately, a parish vocations ministry is not about doing the right combination of activities that results in vocations.

This ministry is about living our own vocations and showing the goodness of following God to those who are still maturing in the faith. The prayer and activities included in this book are examples of how to raise up for today's youth the promise of hope that awaits those who trust in God and persevere in their faith: holiness, happiness, joy and peace. May all of our efforts to promote vocations awaken the Spirit that abides within.

A Deacon's Role in the St. Vincent de Paul Society Deacon Chris Orlowski Pax Christi Parish, Rochester Ss. Peter & Paul Parish, Mazeppa

de Paul Society in 2011, when the conferences were started in the Rochester area at the request of Bishop Quinn, who, upon becoming the eighth bishop of the Winona Diocese in 2009, had quickly gathered the priests and deacons together and pointed out the many outstanding advantages of having St. Vincent de Paul conferences in the diocese, and the rich history behind them. At the request of my pastor and the administrator, I joined the first meetings for Pax Christi in early 2011.

What is the deacon’s role in the St. Vincent de Paul Society? Because it is a lay organization, the deacon is not allowed to be a board member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, but he can be a spiritual advisor. The deacon is ordained to liturgy, word, and charity. That charity is Christ’s love in action, and it is the service we Vincentians provide to our friends. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), describes the deacon's charity role in this way: As ministers of Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshaling the Church's resources to meet those needs. Deacons are also dedicated to eliminating the injustices or inequities that cause such needs.

In the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the deacon provides guidance and servant leadership to assist conferences in fulfilling their mission.

The three essential elements of the St. Vincent de Paul Society are spirituality, friendship and service to the poor. These essential elements compose the very fabric of our meetings and our dealings with our friends. As we get

11

Diaconate

� started volunteering with the St. Vincent

closer to Christ in our meetings with our friends, they can see the face of Christ in us, and we can see the face of Christ in them.

The greatest service we can give is to keep the conference focused on the first element of the Vincentian rules, which is spirituality. We as deacons can aid our members by encouraging them to participate in the Mass, personal daily prayer, penance, and meditation or reflection on the scriptures, especially the Gospels.

At meetings, we can ensure that we have prayer and reflections on the Gospels or other Vincentian reflections and also that we adhere to Catholic social teachings. We also can have yearly retreats that focus on the spirituality of the Vincentian.

The Spiritual Advisor Guidelines state: The Spiritual Advisor enables members to better understand the meaning of charity and its practical application toward those in need, and assists with the development of their Vincentian spiritual life. Spiritual Advisors play an important role in promoting the mission of the Society and in developing a sense of friendship among the members.

That friendship among members is what brings Vincentians together in person-to-person service and what helps us to see beyond ourselves to the plight of others. Spirituality opens us to be touched by Christ and to see what He calls us to do with our lives.

When the conference misses the spirituality element in meetings, it can lose focus on friendship and service to the poor. Those meetings will tend to focus on fundraising, membership, meeting length, etc., and sides can be taken between members to the point that arguing can cause members to leave. When we forget spirituality, we think of the visits more as work than service to the poor, which can lead to burnout in the long run. The spirituality element provides time to slow down and focus on Christ, to center ourselves and keep on track for what is important. We can focus on the readings and

St. Vincent de Paul

reflections to help us come together as a community in friendship and to share a part of ourselves with the group in order to open ourselves to spiritual growth. We can then come back to focus on the service to the poor, helping us to fulfill our mission.

I have a picture that has the saying, “I am in your midst as one who serves." These words remind me of my mission as Christ the servant.

When we serve others, we need to remind ourselves that it is just not good enough at times to drop off items and leave. We must go beyond ourselves and take into account the true needs of others and the compassion we can show to those in need. We need to expand our understanding of that mission just as we do in the St. Vincent de Paul Society. As deacons, we can bring that servant leadership to our ministering and to the groups in our churches in order for those groups to grow and thrive. Spirituality is a key part of growth that we can share with the different groups to whom we minister.

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Safe Environment

12

A Message from the New Program Manager

�y name is Mary Hamann, and I have

been with the Diocese of Winona for 10 years. I began in the Office of Finance, and six years ago, I transitioned to the Office of Safe Environment. In February of this year, I was promoted to the Safe Environment Program Manager.

Over the past six years, Safe Environment has become very near and dear to my heart; so much so that I am often teased to get off my “Soap Box.” I believe the Safe Environment Program in the Diocese of Winona is instrumental in keeping the promise that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) established in June 2002 in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People is a comprehensive set of procedures established by the USCCB in June 2002 (revised June 2011) for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. The Charter also includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability, and prevention of future acts of abuse.

The Charter directs action in all the following matters: 1. Creating a safe environment for children and young people; 2. Healing and reconciliation of victims and survivors; 3. Making prompt and effective responses to allegations; 4. Cooperating with civil authorities; 5. Disciplining offenders; 6. Providing for means of accountability for the future to ensure the problem continues to be effectively dealt with through the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection and the National Review Board.

I am responsible for gathering the information required for the annual Safe Environment audit

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from all the parishes and schools in the diocese.

I review and combine this information into one audit and then submit it to the USCCB. An independent audit firm in turn reviews the information.

My information comes from over 120 diocesan employees and volunteers, many of whom have been in their roles for years. I truly enjoy working with all of them and applaud their commitment to ensuring a safe environment in their parishes and schools.

Since 2011, we have been offering VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children for Adults training that was created by The National Catholic Risk Retention Group, Inc. VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children for Adults training is an awareness program used by the Diocese of Winona to train our priests, religious, deacons, deacon candidates, seminarians, teachers, school employees, church employees and volunteers who have any contact with children, young adults or vulnerable adults. More than 120 dioceses in the United States, as well as Religious organizations and Universities, use this program.

VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children for Adults is a live training program presented by myself and more than 100 trained facilitators throughout the diocese. The following text is how VIRTUS® describes their program and why it is so important: Why am I here?

You are here because you are a part of the solution to the problem of child sexual abuse in our homes, parishes, and communities. You did not cause this problem. But, when caring adults have a “healthy suspicion” about something in their surroundings, they can identify the risks to children early enough to prevent child sexual abuse from occurring.

Mary Hamann

Program Manager mhamann@dow.org

How does the Protecting God’s Children program prevent child sexual abuse?

The Protecting God’s Children program consists of many components. The education component helps prevent child sexual abuse by first making every adult employee and volunteer aware of the issues surrounding child sexual abuse. This includes awareness of the many ways that sexual abuse harms its victims, their families, the parish, and the community. The awareness session also helps adults learn to recognize the warning signs of abuse, and shows them the appropriate way to respond to suspicious behavior. Finally, the awareness session empowers each person with five steps to help prevent child sexual abuse. A trained facilitator leads these awareness sessions.

What is my role in the Protecting God’s Children program?

All adults are protectors of children. That’s why you are a part of this awareness session. As an adult, it is your role in the faith community, to keep your eyes and ears open, and to report any suspicious activity to appropriate authorities and church officials.

What are the VIRTUS® programs?

(Copyright © 2002-2006 by National Catholic Services, LLC. All rights reserved.)

VIRTUS is the brand name that identifies best practices programs designed to help prevent wrongdoing and promote "right doing" within religious organizations. The VIRTUS programs empower organizations and people to better control risk and improve the lives of all those who interact with the Church.

Next month I will address many common misconceptions that people have about VIRTUS® training and why Church employees and volunteers are expected to attend. I will also share ways participants have benefited from attending VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children for Adults trainings.

The Annual Appeal: "Crass and Tacky"?

Monica Herman

Catholic Foundation

Executive Director Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota mherman@catholicfsmn.org

13

The following advice column by KATRINA FERNANDEZ originally appeared on aleteia.org. In this installment, Katrina addresses a reader who is tired of being asked for money at Mass.

�atrina,

I absolutely hate this time of year. I call it the Lenten Shakedown, because you know Lent is coming when they roll down the video screens in church and play the annual appeal for money. It's crass and tacky and sends the message that all the Church cares about is money. I get stuff in the mail every year around this time asking my family for more money, then we go to church and get hit by it again in the pews. I feel like all the homilies are about money, and it's just a major turn-off.

Signed, Enough Already Katrina responds...

�ear Enough Already,

The Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization in the world, and since the Vatican doesn't mint their own currency, the money has to come from somewhere.

I typically go to Mass two or three times a week, so it's fair to say I probably hear, at the very minimum, around 104 homilies a year. Of those 104 homilies, only two Sundays are devoted to our Annual Diocesan Support Appeal. For all the good the Church does throughout the entire year, asking for some extra help once or even twice a year seems like an extremely small inconvenience to bear.

I suspect that most priests don't like appealing for money anymore than you like to hear them ask. If I were to find anything tacky about the situation, it would be that priests are put in that position in the first place.

A general lack of giving is what prompts the yearly appeals.

As Joanne McPortland reported in Aleteia: The average share of income that US Catholics give to the Church is a mere 1%. That's the low-

est percentage of giving of any major religious denomination in the United States. Fewer than 1 in 3 Americans who identify themselves as Catholic attend Mass on a 'regular' basis (defined as at least once a month), and of those regular attendees, only 30% give to the support of their parish.

sonally pick up the tab for the difference in tuition costs for participating Catholic families. If a Catholic education is $6,000 a year in tuition for non-Catholic families and only $4,000 a year for Catholic families, the parish that the student's family is registered with pays that $2,000 difference in tuition cost. That difference in tuition comes directly from parish funds and our tithes. So if you have one child in Catholic school receiving a $2,000 yearly discount but only give $5 a week ($260 annually) you can see the problem and understand why our bishops and priests are justified in their appeals.

Annual Support Appeals are a necessity and are typically made around Lent to give us a chance to extend our charity as a Lenten sacrifice. Instead of letting these appeals annoy you, perhaps thank God for the small inconvenience. Minor annoyances give us the opportunity for spiritual growth in areas of patience, faith, and charity.

The solution, of course, is for everyone to give more and to prioritize tithing to the Church over, say, entertainment expenses. Of course give what you are capable of, but also budget gifting to the Church like you would a utility bill and rent or mortgage.

I also encourage folks to look into how and where their diocese is spending its money - this information is readily available and often published online. In doing so, hopefully we can all be encouraged to give more, once we understand the full scope of need. It's truly eyeopening to see how great the need is and how far the money is stretched.

Each diocese is responsible for funding ministries and charities that help the elderly, the poor, refugees, and care for their religious communities and priests.

Diocesan money is used for maintaining school and parish structures as well as salaries for all the employees that keep each diocese up and running. When we withhold tithing or give the barest 1%, we are cheating our parish and those Since most in need.

And here's something I just learned: in my diocese, individual parishes per-

Congratulations! our February 18 Kick-off,

Good Shepherd Parish, Jackson St. Luke Parish, Sherburn and

St. Joseph Parish, Lakefield have met their goals for the 2017 Catholic Ministries Appeal!

Thank you!

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Catholic Charities

14

Lifting Up Those Reaching Out

By MARY ALESSIO

I often listen to music as I write,

and today the soundtrack of Les Miserables echoes in the background.

It has been my “go to” for the last couple of months. If you are one of those who experienced the longest running musical, you might sense a strong connection between that story line and the theme of Catholic Charities' Annual Mother’s Day Appeal: Lifting Up Those Reaching Out. Our choice to lift up those reaching out has not only a transformative effect but a redemptive value. We see in Les Miserables that when a kindly bishop extends mercy and compassion, he lifts up Jean Valjean when he needs it most. As a result, Jean Valjean’s life and so many others are saved; what an investment in hope and humanity!

At Catholic Charities, we are called to serve the poor and those living on the margins. We are called to make an investment in the lives of those with broken hearts and broken spirits—those who are on the fringe of hopelessness—reaching out in desperation. At Catholic Charities, we are called to go to places where our faith is put to the

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test. Do I simply pass by with a feeling of sorrow, or do I extend my hand, lifting up those in need with both dignity and respect?

If you are like me, there is someone in your life who lifted you up and gave you a second chance. Their face is embedded in your memory. Because of their compassion, your life was changed forever. That choice to lift you up created a spirit of hope in you that rippled to others in your life; maybe that hope even extended to strangers who have experienced your generosity and compassion!

Catholic Charities is the social service arm of our diocese. Because of your compassionate generosity, we lift up those reaching out within the 20 southernmost counties of Minnesota.

Your support of our mission makes all the difference! You provided help and created hope in 2016 for over 4,500 individuals residing in over 2,000 households; 59% of those households had an annual income at or below $25,000. You lifted up families in crisis, vulnerable adults and seniors, and children in need.

Amira was one of those children in need. She arrived from a world of violence and destruction. Along with her siblings and parents, A m i r a reached out to Catholic Charities for help.

With your support, Catholic Charities lifted up her family.

Today, Amira walks proudly through the doors of a classroom at a community college, where she is studying diligently to become a nurse.

Her dreams are to lift up others reaching out for help and healing, in thanksgiving for the helping hand you gave her. The ripple of compassion continues to touch those you may not know personally. And it started with your choice to lift up those reaching out for help and hope.

The impact of your investment in the mission of Catholic Charities is invaluable. Just like that kindly bishop in Les Miserables, when

you lift up those reaching out with your compassionate generosity, it provides both a transformative effect and redemptive value.

When you support our Annual Appeal…

• You lift up families, couples, and individuals by helping them receive competent and compassionate mental health services from licensed individuals.

• You provide a pathway for single mothers moving onward toward education completion and upward to gainful employment in a healthcare profession.

• You help make it possible to create innovative services through our senior volunteer program. One of those services provides support and appreciation to our active and veteran military men and women by sending letters of gratitude to our service members.

In 2016, The Common Good Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) provided 109,817 hours of volunteer services in our communities.

• You assist low income individuals lacking prescription medications in receiving their prescriptions at reduced or no cost through our Medication Application Service.

• You welcome the stranger and bring the promise of new beginnings for children who were once surrounded by memories of death and destruction.

• You help our Guardian/Conservatorship Program provide competent and compassionate care for those individuals deemed unable to make decisions in their personal best interest.

Fifteen programs - serving all ages, genders, ethnic backgrounds, and faith traditions within southern Minnesota - have lifted up those reaching out, because of you!

There is a quote from Les Miserables that is etched in my memory: “To love another person is to see the face of God.” We are humbled to see the face of God in all those we serve. We are mindful that it is your support that makes it all possible; you lift up our efforts. We are grateful for your support of the Catholic Charities Annual Appeal. Heartfelt thanks and prayers for God’s blessings to you and your loved ones.

Mary Alessio is director of advancement for Catholic Charities.

Faith in the Public Arena

Encourage New Growth 15 in Family Farming Shawn Peterson

Associate Director for Public Policy Minnesota Catholic Conference

�he decline of small, family farms and rural

communities isn’t just a problem for small-town residents or American Gothic enthusiasts. It carries with it consequences for all Minnesotans that we should address.

That’s why the Minnesota Catholic Conference has lent its support to HF 608/SF 1414, a bill that would make it easier for the beginning farmer or rancher to enter into this important work. This legislation would create tax incentives for older, established farmers to rent or sell their land to new or beginning farmers.

This bill, along with HF 1461/SF 1317, which would create grants to be used to increase urban agriculture production capacity and fresh food access, are practical, sound steps that each Minnesotan can support to restore a vocational vision to agriculture, whether it is our particular calling or not.

Changing Landscape Rural America and agriculture have changed considerably since my great-grandfather, Paul Dehn, a staunch German Catholic, first put his plow in the rural North Dakota soil in the early 1900s. In his day, farms were small and families were big. The millions of family farms that dotted the countryside supported thriving rural communities across the nation; Small Town, USA, was growing, and Main Street was lined with businesses, schools, and churches.

But agriculture has changed in America.

Farms have become bigger, while families are smaller. In the pursuit of higher yields and with fewer children choosing to embrace the farming vocation, farms have consolidated into huge enterprises. As a result, rural communities have become stagnant, the network of business and social relationships once centered around family farming now waning.

In 1920, there were nearly 6.5 million farms nationwide, with the average size no more than 200 acres. But by the early 2000s, the numbers had flipped. The total number of farms had dropped to under two million, but the average farm size had ballooned to well over 400 acres.

In fact, only 10 percent of farms account for 70 percent of all food produced in America today.

Big Problems with Big Ag This shift toward more large-scale, industrial agricultural operations has brought with it serious consequences. For one, the concentration of food production in the hands of a few (and increasingly in the form of fewer and fewer genetic strains) undermines food security, which would be better served by more suppliers and by biodiversity in our seeds, crops, and even livestock.

For another, industrial agriculture’s reliance upon heavy machinery and chemical usage to produce maximum yields is taking a toll on creation. Topsoil is being depleted at record rates.

And agricultural abuse has environmental implications beyond just our ability to grow food: The Environmental Protection Agency reports that chemical usage in agriculture is responsible for 70 percent of water surface pollution in America.

The change in the face of agriculture has coincided with an exodus from rural America.

According to US census data, 60 percent of the nation’s population lived in rural areas in 1900, compared to less than one-fifth of Americans today. Fewer farmers working the land means fewer people living in our rural areas, fewer families attending small community parishes, fewer children attending our rural Catholic schools and fewer people opening businesses to serve their rural neighbors.

Agriculture as Vocation The problems facing agriculture in America are complicated, but one part of the solution could be restoring a vocational vision to agriculture, the type of vision that upholds farming as not merely a way to make a living, but as a comprehensive and fuller way of life.

The Catholic Church has long championed this vocational approach to agriculture, recog-

nizing the farmer’s unique call to steward God’s creation, but also to nurture social and even spiritual growth in his or her house and community as well. Pope Benedict XVI called family farming a “guardian of values and a natural agent of solidarity between generations.”

Restoring a vocational approach to agriculture necessitates restoring more farmers to the land. Currently, the median age for ranchers and farmers is 56 years, and there are not enough younger people waiting in the wings to take on the load when the current generation retires.

Much of this is due to the prohibitive cost for the new or beginning farmer. But if we are to attract more young farmers and their families back to the countryside to build community, practice sustainable agriculture, and share in the work of the Creator, we will need public policies that support them in their vocation. Tax credits to support new farmers and to encourage others in urban areas to get back to the land are a step in the right direction.

Action Alert Ask lawmakers to support new farmers!

Newcomers to agriculture face many obstacles in Minnesota. Let's ask our lawmakers to pass HF 608/SF 1414, a bill that would make it easier for the beginning farmer or rancher to live out this important vocation. This legislation would create tax incentives for older, established farmers to rent or sell their land to the new or beginning farmer, instead of turning it over to a large corporate farm. You can also ask your legislators to support HF 1461/SF1317, which would create grants to be used to increase urban agriculture production capacity and fresh food access.

To find contact info for your state senator and state representative, call 651-296-8338 or visit www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts/

March & April, 2017 w The Courier

Divine Mercy Sunday

16

How to Celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday Divine Mercy Sunday falls on the Sunday after Easter - this year, April 23. To help us prepare for this day, the Courier turns once again to MARY ZIMMERMAN, a parishioner of St. Mary's Church in Winona and tireless promoter of Divine Mercy Sunday. The following is an updated version of the article Mary contributed to last March's issue of the Courier.

�or the 23rd year, Divine Mercy

Sunday is being celebrated in the Diocese of Winona. Just what is Divine Mercy Sunday, and how do we prepare for it?

In the 1930s, Sister Faustina Kowalska, a devout nun from the order of the Sisters of our Lady of Mercy, began to receive messages and revelations from Jesus. Jesus said, "You will prepare the world for my second coming."

When the second coming will be, no one knows, but there seems to be a sense of urgency. Can anyone deny that the world is in crisis and needs God's mercy as never before?

God keeps reminding us of that need through many approved apparation sights and messages. Within this article, we'll focus mainly on those given to Sister Faustina. God gave her the title of Secretary of His greatest attriubte, His Mercy. Jesus instructed her on the many aspects of the Divine Mercy devotion.

Here are a few of those aspects: The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

.

St

Our Lord taught Sister Faustina a prayer for mercy that she was to pray "unceasingly," the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

He said if she prayed this way, her prayer would have great power for the conversion of sinners, peace for the dying and even control over nature. Jesus further says that, through the Chaplet, you will obtain anything, if what you ask for is compatible with His will.

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Fa

March & April, 2017 w The Courier

The Divine Mercy Novena

The Chaplet can be said anytime, but the Lord specifically asked that it be recited as a Novena, especially on the nine days before the Feast of Mercy.

He promised, by this Novena (of Chaplets), to grant every possible grace to souls. This Novena is especially beneficial for the dying.

The Three o'Clock Hour Jesus told Sister Faustina, "At three o'clock, implore my mercy, especially for sinners...

This is the hour of great mercy.

In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion."

The Image of Divine Mercy

Jesus, I Trust in You

There is so much to be said about this beautiful image; for more information, please refer to a pamphlet or to the diary of St. Faustina's words from Jesus.

Jesus said, "I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish... I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is the image, with the signature: "Jesus, I trust in You." As we gaze upon the Divine Mercy Image, we see Jesus taking a step forward to come to meet us, his right hand in a blessing position, his left had pointing toward his heart, where two rays come forth: the pale ray stands for the waters of Baptism; the red ray stands for the blood which is the life of the soul--the Eucharist. Jesus desires that every home and church have an Image of Divine Mercy.

Jesus said of Divine Mercy Sunday, "On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain the complete forgiveness of sins and punishment."

This is how we can prepare for the Feast of Mercy: sincerely repent, confess, completely trust in Jesus, receive Holy Communion on that day, venerate the Image, and be merciful to others.

Sister Faustina has now reached her heavenly home and was declared a Saint by St. John Paul II in the year 2000, the same day Mercy Sunday was officially put on the Church calendar. Now it's up to us to be the hands and feet and voice for Saint Faustina, to spread the good news of God's Mercy.

For this, Jesus gives us this promise: "Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield through their entire lives as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death, I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior."

April 23, 2017...

Austin - Queen of Angels Celebration starts at 1:30 p.m. at 1001 East Oakland Avenue in Austin. More info at 507-433-1888.

Blooming Prairie St. Columbanus 10 a.m. Mass, followed by Adoration 3 p.m. Holy Hour with sung Chaplet of Divine Mercy 4 p.m. - Benediction Caledonia - St. Mary's Celebration starts at 11 a.m., includes Eucharistic Adoration, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, & Confessions. More info at 507-725-3804.

Eyota - Holy Redeemer Celebration from 2 p.m. - 3 p.m., includes Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and second-class relics of St. Faustina, Blessed Francisco, & Blessed Jacinta, followed by Rosary, Confessions, and music with the choir.

Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 p.m. Join us in prayer and song! More info at 507358-8288.

Fairmont - St. John Vianney Holy Hour from 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m., includes singing of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Exposition, Adoration, & Reconciliation. More info at 507-2355535.

Jackson - Good Shepherd Celebrating from 1-3 p.m. More info at 507-847-2504.

Janesville - St. Anne 9 a.m. - Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the main church 9:30 a.m. - Chaplet of Divine Mercy 10 a.m. - Sunday Eucharistic Liturgy More info at 507-234-6244.

New Richland - All Saints 4 p.m. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the main church 4:30 p.m. - Chaplet of Divine Mercy 5 p.m. - Sunday Eucharistic Liturgy More info at 507-234-6244.

Owatonna - St. Joseph's Celebrating from 3-4 p.m. with Divine Mercy Chaplet, Rosary, & Benediction.

More info at 507-451-4845.

Rochester - Resurrection Fr. Ivo Pavic, OFM will conduct a Divine Mercy Healing Mission for four days, beginning April 20 and culminating on Divine Mercy Sunday.

1 p.m. - Movie on Mercy 2 p.m. - Rosary in Adoration Chapel 2:15-4:30 p.m. Devotions in main church, including Eucharistic Adoration, Blessing of the Divine Mercy Image, Veneration of a firstclass relic of St. Faustina, Confession, & Testimony of Mercy 6:30 p.m. - Fr. Pavic will preside over a Eucharistic Healing Service. More info at 507-287-6481.

Rose Creek - St. Peter Celebration from 2-3 p.m., includes Exposition, Readings, Prayers, & Divine Mercy Chaplet. The church is located at 302 Maple Street in Rose Creek. More info at 507-582-3321.

St. James - St. James 3 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. - Exposition & Confessions 5:30 p.m. Benediction More info at 507-375-3542.

Slayton - St. Ann's 2 p.m. - Adoration and Confessions 3 p.m. - Divine Mercy Chaplet, followed by Benediction.

Church located at 2747 29th St. in Slayton.

Wabasha - St. Felix Adoration - 3-6 p.m.

Exposition & Divine Mercy Chaplet , followed by Confessions - 3 p.m.

Vespers & Benediction - 5:30 p.m.

More info at 651-565-4727.

Waldorf - St. Joseph 7 a.m. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in main church.

7:30 a.m. - Chaplet of Divine Mercy 8 a.m. - Sunday Eucharistic Liturgy More info at 507-234-6244.

Worthington - St. Mary's Celebration starts at 2 p.m., includes Exposition, Readings, Prayers, Bilingual Sung Divine Mercy Chaplet, & Confessions. Church is located at 1215 7th Avenue in Worthington. More info at 507-376-6005.

Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy Celebrations 17 in the Diocese of Winona

Winona - Cathedral of the Sacred Heart 1 p.m. - Video presentation & materials in the Gathering Space How to Pray the Chaplet of 2:30-4 p.m. Adoration, Divine Mercy Divine Mercy Message & Testimonies, Chaplet [Optional Opening Prayers] of Divine Mercy, & You expired, Jesus, but the source of life Benediction. gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of Refreshments will folmercy opened up for the whole world. low Benediction.

O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, Confessions will be availenvelop the whole world and empty Yourself able. More info at 507upon us.

452-4770.

(Repeat 3x) O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You! [Say the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Apostle's Creed] [For each of the five decades, on each "Our Father" bead, pray:] Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

[On each of the 10 "Hail Mary" beads, pray:] For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Concluding Prayer] (Repeat 3x) Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Optional Closing Prayer] Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

March & April, 2017 w The Courier

Capitol, cont'd from pg. 1 18

the RiverCentre. It began with Morning Prayer and Mass, followed by issue briefings, advocacy training, and words of inspiration from the event's two featured speakers: Bishop James Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska; and Gloria Purvis, an activist with Black Catholics for Life and host of Authentically Free at Last on EWTN and Morning Glory on EWTN Global Catholic Radio.

Minnesota Catholic Conference Executive Director Jason Adkins helped set the day's tone by calling upon the words of Pope Francis: "'A good Catholic meddles in politics,' Pope Francis tells us, because it is one of the highest forms of charity.

The gospel calls us to serve others and to protect the vulnerable in everything we do, including political participation. It's certainly counter-cultural, but the Church sees politics as a form of civic friendship at a time when polarization and partisanship are pulling us apart."

He added, "Today is about building relationships, practicing what might be called politics of encounter.

The relationships you build today among each other within your parishes and districts, but also with your legislators, will hopefully continue as we work to protect life and human dignity."

state: expansion of educational choice through a scholarship tax credit, steps toward ending persistent family poverty, and prevention of physician-assisted suicide.

"From the very beginnings in the United States, we as Catholics have tried to offer education that forms the whole person," said Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese, speaking on the importance of school choice. "We've done this in some of the poorest neighborhoods in this country.

We've done this in rural areas. And we do it not only for Catholics, but we do it because we're Catholic."

Bishop Cozzens went on to emphasize the important role Catholic schools play in closing Minnesota's achievement gap, and how greater educational choice would benefit disadvantaged students. He closed by taking out his cell phone to film a video message for Governor Mark Dayton, who was receiving treatment for prostate cancer. Having already led a prayer for the governor, Bishop Cozzens wished him a speedy recovery and, along with more than 1,000 other Catholics, encouraging him to support school choice!

Bishop Donald Kettler of the St. Cloud Diocese addressed the need to pass legislation that fosters family economic stability by removing the "marriage penalty" attached to government assistance, and increasing the amount granted to families who need help, which hasn't changed since 1986.

The Issues "Jesus Christ, the God Man, was poor himself To stay organized in their efforts, participants were throughout his life here on earth," said Bishop Kettler. encouraged to focus their discussions with lawmakers "Because we are to imitate the life of Jesus, including his on three causes that currently face legislation in the being poor, we have a special concern for the poor and marginalized. ...Not only do we care for the poor and the marginalized, we also look at our own manner of living and how we ourselves use and share the goods that God has given us."

Bishop John M. LeVoir of the New Ulm Diocese drew upon his experiences as a priest caring for the sick and elderly to address the topic of physician-assisted suicide.

"Death is never the answer," he said. "Sometimes people seek that answer in death. It seems simple.

It seems compassionate. Arguments L to R: Bishop Paul D. Sirba of the Duluth Diocese, Bishop John M. can be made that make it sound very Quinn of the Winona Diocese, and Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner of the good, very acceptable, very loving, Crookston Diocese

Gloria Purvis

but ... any priest can tell you, I'm sure, hundreds of stories about visiting those who are debilitated, those who are suffering, those who are in nursing homes, hospitals, hospice and extended care. We've visited these people. We've talked with these people. We've prayed with these people, and there's nothing better for them than love."

The Minnesota Catholic Conference stands against physician-assisted suicide because of the Catholic conviction that all human life is sacred, and also because the treatment of death as an option for patients "undermines medicine, puts the vulnerable at risk, and disincentivizes care." Catholics at the Capitol participants were made aware of the "End of Life Options Act," which, if passed, would allow terminally-ill patients to receive "medication" to end their lives. They were also encouraged to advocate for the establishment of a Palliative Care Advisory Committee, which would be "committed to ensuring the best possible quality of life for patients dealing with serious illness and disease."

The Speakers Bishop Conley noted the fitting location of the Minnesota State Capitol at the confluence of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and John Ireland Boulevard,

The Pacelli High School delegation in front of the Capitol. L to R: Junior Patrick Murphy, Senior Francisco Rosas, Sophomore Myra Kraemer, her father Jerry Kraemer, Senior Cole Ethen, and Principal Laura Marreel March & April, 2017 w The Courier

ground is, can flourish and be happy. The Gospel calls the world to objective standards of truth."

Gloria Purvis recounted personal experiences that highlighted the importance of Catholic principles in her life. Access to a Catholic education led to her conversion after a mystical encounter she had during Adoration at school, and her mother's recovery from a quadruple bypass and coma, during which a doctor advised "pulling the plug," gave her unique insight to the physicianassisted suicide debate.

"We know there can be blessing in suffering," she said. "God is the divine physician. ... You just don't know what the Lord is going to do with the suffering that is put in front of you."

Purvis had a notable effect on the energy of her audience as she fired them up for their afternoon with the lawmakers, urging them to remember the refrain, "I ain't no ways tired!"

son we learned is that Catholic voices matter!"

As the 4 p.m. closing drew near, participants produced signs reading "Catholic Voices Count," a phrase they chanted in the Capitol rotunda, led by Gloria Purvis.

In his remarks before leading the final prayer, Bishop Quinn emphasized that Catholics at the Capitol was only the beginning of a struggle to promote human life and dignity in Minnesota.

"What we do now is really going to count," he said.

"We are not going to be afraid. We are not going to withdraw from the culture that more than ever needs the truth of Jesus Christ."

19

The Capitol

named for the first Catholic Archbishop of the St. PaulMinneapolis Archdiocese.

Conley said the boulevards, named for two great leaders of faith who were deeply engaged in public life "should remind us of certain fundamental and important truths: that democracies depend on believers to witness prophetically to virtue, to truth, to goodness, and to beauty; that believers have a critical and important role to play in the public life for the common good, to build a culture of life and a civilization of love; and that we must do all of this as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ. Your state needs your faith and your witness," he said.

He encouraged the audience not to be swayed by those who say that religious beliefs should be confined to private life.

"The founding fathers believed that well-formed believers were essential and critical for maintaining the social contract underlying the US Constitution," he said.

"The Gospel reveals a common good, through which every human person, no matter what their faith or back-

Between visits with legislators, participants met with the Minnesota bishops in the basement of the Capitol or prayed rosaries in the rotunda. Visible amid the throng were members of Little Sisters of the Poor, whose organization has made US headlines in recent years for its opposition to a federal mandate to provide contraception to employees, despite its Catholic convictions.

Young people were an especially spirited presence at the event, with entire senior classes in attendance from three Catholic high schools and individual students from many others, including Pacelli High School in Austin, which sent four passionate students along with a parent and Principal Laura Marreel.

"To say this learning experience was inspiring and powerful for all who attended would be an understatement," Marreel said. "Students and adults learned how to be active voices in our state. We also learned a lot about the lawmakers who represent us. We learned that they will excuse themselves from sessions to listen to the concerns of the citizens they represent. We learned that they genuinely care about the issues that are important to us, even if they may not agree. We learned that advocacy is most powerful when it is peaceful, positive, and cooperative. But the most important les-

Bishop James Conley

March & April, 2017 w The Courier

20

Obituaries

McCarthy Receives Seal of Approval

In the Diocese

ROCHESTER Catholic Author Mary McCarthy, a parishioner of Church of the Resurrection in Rochester, has received the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval for her book, A Pilgrimage of Hope: A Story of Faith and Medicine.

This award attests the book is in full compliance with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

McCarthy's book, a memoir, describes the challenges of her inoperable brain cancer diagnosis and captures the frightening details in a crash course on cancer and its possible treatments.

McCarthy says that, despite the cancer diagnosis, she found herself being called closer to God, and that the message of her book is to trust God; He has a plan for everyone.

The book is sold at Gifts of Faith and at Hunts Card and Gift in Rochester or online at Amazon.

The Catholic Writers Guild is based in Indianapolis, IN, with affiliates and friends across the

Sister Paula Leopold, 101, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights on January 31, 2017.

Dorothy Mary Ann Leopold was born September 10, 1915,

U.S. Its mission statement reads: The Catholic Writers Guild is a group of writers, artists, editors, illustrators, and allied dedicated to building a vibrant Catholic literary and artistic culture. We do this by encouraging each other to create, publish, perform, and share our work; by reflecting upon core Catholic values (i.e., those in accordance with the teaching of the Magisterium) in art; and by networking among ourselves and with others within the faith and literary communities. We are loyal to the teaching authority of the Church.

in Heron Lake to Theodore and Bertha (Wagner) Leopold. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1934 from Sacred Heart Parish in Heron Lake. Sister Paula made first vows in 1937 and perpetual vows in 1940. She received a degree as a registered nurse from Saint Marys School of Nursing, Rochester, in 1940.

For 38 years, Sister Paula served as a registered nurse at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester; St. James Nursing Home in St. James; Mercy Hospital in Portsmouth, OH; St. Francis Convalescent Home in Denver, CO; Jenkins Clinic Hospital in Jenkins, KY; St. Joseph Hospital in Denver, CO; Hillcrest Manor Nursing Home in Louisville, KY; and at Assisi Heights in Rochester. She also served in child care at Denver

Child Care in Thornton, CO, and as a companion and nurse in Augusta, GA, and Clear Water, FL. Sister Paula retired to Assisi Heights in 1984, where she continued an active ministry serving as sacristan, liturgical minister, child sitter, driver, and house sitter, and she volunteered at St. Marys Hospital as an Auxilian.

Sister Paula is survived by her Franciscan Congregation, with whom she shared life for 82 years, and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Paul, Frederick and Leonard; and sisters, Agnes Pigman, Leona Mosley and Sister Mary Leonissa.

A Funeral Mass was held Monday, February 13, in the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes at Assisi Heights, Rochester. Burial was at Calvary Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Development, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Suite 100, Rochester, MN 55901.

Tibodeau Receives Bishop's Medal

March & April, 2017 w The Courier

Sister Mary Louis Pihaly, SSND, 101, professed in 1936, died March 14, 2017, at Good Counsel in Mankato.

Sister DelRey Richard, SSND, 81, professed in 1956, died February 10, 2017, at Good Counsel in Mankato.

By TERESA CHIRPICH

WELLS - The parishioners of the tri-parish of St. Casimir Church in Wells, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Easton and St. John the Baptist in Minnesota Lake were treated to a special occasion when Bishop John Quinn presided over the Saturday Mass in Wells on March 4th. This service was made all the more memorable when Bishop Quinn presented the Bishop’s Medal to a long-time parishioner of St. Casimir Church and the principal of St. (L to R) Fr. Andrew Vogel, Principal Joanne Casimir School, Joanne Tibodeau.

Tibodeau, and Bishop John Quinn The Bishop’s Medal is an award given at the diocesan level to an individual who tor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School and has served faithfully and in an exemplary St. Casimir’s School. She is always willing to manner for 20 years or longer to further the learn new methods to improve the educamission of the Catholic Church. tional process. Mrs. Tibodeau approaches In introducing Tibodeau, Bishop Quinn each situation, issue or project with an open said, “Joanne Tibodeau is a faith-filled, Christ- mind. She is committed to developing a procentered woman who lives out her faith cess and finding solutions to bring improveevery day. Mrs. Tibodeau speaks freely of the ment. Joanne Tibodeau is a humble and Lord and how important He is in everything welcoming person with strong family values. that she does. Mrs. Tibodeau’s focal point, We are blessed with Joanne’s leadership, as an educator and principal, is continually guidance and love.” in the best interest of students. She generThe families of St. Casimir’s School in ously gives of self to the students and teach- Wells and the parishioners of St. Casimir ers she has worked with over the years. Her Church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and St. gentle guidance when dealing with children John the Baptist congratulate and thank Mrs. is evident. She has touched the lives of stu- Tibodeau for her many years of service and dents, and they come back to seek her out leadership within these faith communities! after they have graduated from St. Casimir’s School. Mrs. Tibodeau has been in education Teresa Chirpich is secretary of St. Casimir for many years as a teacher and administra- School in Wells.

A native of Belfield, ND, she was an elementary grade teacher and principal in Minnesota and North Dakota Catholic Schools. In the Winona diocese, she taught at St. Stanislaus in Winona (196567) and Good Counsel Academy in Mankato (1973-74). She also served as principal at St. John Vianney in Fairmont (1987-89).

Her special area of expertise was art education, and she conducted workshops for teachers in this field. She was the director of the Good Counsel Education Center from 1989 to 1992. In 1993 she started a freelance artist, seamstress and interior decorator ministry. Good Counsel was her base for this work, which she called DelRey Designs, beginning in 2002.

A native of St. Paul, she was an elementary grade teacher and principal in Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota Catholic Schools. In most places, she was also responsible for school and/or parish music.

None of her teaching assignments were in the Winona Diocese; however, she lived in retirement at Good Counsel from 2003 until her death. She was the last surviving Mankato SSND participant in the "Nun Study," which Dr. David Snowdon conducted to research causes of Alzheimer's disease. As a participant, Sister Mary Louis was involved in periodic evaluations and also agreed to donate her brain to the research study after her death.

Sister Valeria Theis, SSND, 87, professed in 1953, died March 21, 2017, at Good Counsel in Mankato.

Pegi Sorenson and Fr. Russ Scepaniak

Saint Theodore Religious Education Receives Donation ALBERT LEA - Father Russ Scepaniak, pastor of St. Theodore’s Parish in Albert Lea, was presented with a donation from Catholic United Financial Sales Representative Pegi Sorenson on February 10. Every time a new member is added to Catholic United’s fraternal organization, Catholic United Financial provides a donation to the Religious Education program of the new member’s choice.

Catholic United Financial is the sponsor of the Catholic United Financial Catholic Schools Raffle, ticket sales for which ended on February 26. For each $5 raffle ticket sold, all proceeds go directly to the school. The grand prize at this year's official March 9 drawing is a Jeep or $20,000 cash.

A Native of Marystown, MN (near Shakopee), she was a junior high teacher and principal in Minnesota and Iowa Catholic schools. In the Winona Diocese, she taught at St. Mary's School in Worthington from 1969 to 1971.

She also worked in religious education and parish pastoral ministry in the archdiocese.

Scouts, Heritage Girl, Leaders, Receive Religious Awards

Ss. Peter & Paul, Mazeppa

St. John Vianney, Fairmont

WDCCW to Meet in April HERON LAKE - The Winona Diocese Council of Catholic Women will gather at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Heron Lake on Wednesday, April 5.

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. A representative from the Archdiocese will present a program on leadership, among other topics. All women within the Diocese of Winona are welcome.

The meeting follows the 97th anniversary of the National Council of Catholic Women, which will be celebrated nationwide on March 4.

Since it was established by the US Catholic Bishops in 1920, the

In the Diocese

Holy Spirit, Rochester

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DIOCESE OF WINONA - February saw the celebra- Light of Christ scouting emblem to tion of multiple Scout Sundays and youth religious Jonah Striemer. All three boys belong award ceremonies in the Diocese of Winona. to Pack 69 in Sherburn. Clare Striemer Holy Spirit Parish in Rochester celebrated Scout was awarded the Family of God medal.

Sunday at 10 a.m. Mass on February 5. Several of She is in the American Heritage Girls the cub scouts from Pack 110 helped serve in the Troop MN 3737 in Fairmont.

Mass as door greeters, program distributors, altar On February 19, Msgr. Thomas servers and gift bearers.

Hargesheimer presented the Scout Nine boys - (pictured L to R, front row first) Ad Altara Dei award to (pictured L to Gregory Kaser, Vidal Mollen, Jack Wynia, Sam Wattier, R) Boy Scouts Noah Nachtigal, Scott Owen Wynia, Joseph Langgaard, Jacob Carney, Masyga and Matt Masyga during Mass Dayne Huebert, and Aidan Gibbs - received religious at the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka emblems from Fr. Tom Loomis. Another two boys in Winona.

(Zach and Sam Razidlo) also completed the activity, This year's annual Bishop's Scout but received their awards at their home parish.

Mass will be celebrated at 3:00 p.m. on A scout earns religious emblems by completing May 14 in the Cathedral of the Sacred a religious workbook and learning more about God's Heart in Winona. All Catholic Scouts are presence and love, and how the scout can make an welcome and encouraged to wear any impact in his family, community and parish. religious emblems awarded on Scout "These activities are meant to be complet- Sundays throughout the diocese. ed with parents over 4-6 weeks," said Religious Special recognition will be given Emblem Coordinator Marti Wynia, "so for a boy to new Catholic Eagle Scouts, religious between 7 and 11 years old, this can be quite the emblems counselors and facilitators, endeavor!"

Alex Carlin (Pillars of Faith recipient), Fr. Two of the boys received badges for completing William Thompson (St. George Emblem recipient), the Saint and the Rosary series, which introduces Justin Carlin (Bronze Pelican recipient), Brian Igel scouts to studying a specific saint and learning how (Bronze Pelican recipient), and Martha Schommer to pray the Rosary.

(Bronze Pelican recipient).

"The boys did a fantastic job and we are all very The Bishop's Scout Mass will be followed by a proud of them!" said Wynia. reception.

Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Mazeppa also celebrated Scout Sunday on February 5. (pictured L to R) Thomas Helfer, Grayson Malecha, Ben Helfer and Nate Donovan were recognized by Fr. Joseph Fogal and the rest of their parish for their participation in scouting.

In Fairmont, St. John Vianney School honored its emblem earners during a school Mass on February 8, where Fr. Andrew Beerman presented the Parvuli Dei scouting emblem to Isaiah Lockwood St. Stanislaus, Winona and Gabriel Striemer, and the

NCCW has seen such historic milestones as a White House reception for delegates from the first NCCW Convention in 1921, an address by President Eisenhower at the 1954 convention in Boston, a speech by Mother Teresa at the 1960 convention in Las Vegas during her first visit to the United States, and NCCW's presence at the historic signing of the Equal Pay for Equal Work Bill in 1963 with President Kennedy.

Today, NCCW continues its long-standing tradition as Catholic leaders at the intersection of Church and society by providing resources that answer the most pressing issues facing society today - human trafficking, domestic violence, pornography, evangelization, and temporary care giving through the Respite program. In

response to the increase in numbers of women seeking to enter religious orders, a Vocation Purse Club was established to provide financial aid to women seeking this vocation.

"During our 97 years of existence, NCCW has promoted solutions to current societal concerns by developing programs or volunteering to serve those with needs," said NCCW President Sheila Hopkins.

The US Catholic Bishops created the NCCW to give women a unified voice, a program of service and a vehicle for collaboration. NCCW's mission is to act through its members to support, empower and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service. For more information on resources or membership, visit www.nccw.org.

Seminarians Receive Scholarships WINONA - St. Joseph/Elizabeth Council #2 of Catholic United Financial recently awarded scholarships to three seminarians for the Diocese of Winona.

Pictured left to right are Ezra Lippert, Mitchell Logeais and Michael Churchill with St. Joseph/Elizabeth officers Martin Renk, Deanna Brekke and Lorraine Redig.

March & April, 2017 w The Courier

Madonna Towers Celebrates 50 Years

In the Diocese

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ROCHESTER - Madonna Towers of Rochester started the year with a program and blessing in celebration of their 50th anniversary.

Bishop John M. Quinn was present at the February 2 celebration to provide the blessing and share his view of the hospitality that is displayed throughout the organization, which lists hospitality as one of its core values, among stewardship, respect and justice.

Madonna Towers' his-

tory begins in May of 1965, when the Central U.S. Province of Oblates of Mary Immaculate, St. Paul, broke ground for a new retirement community. They opened their doors to the first resident in January of 1967. At that time Madonna Towers only offered independent living with a skilled nursing care center.

In May of 1995, the sponsorship of Madonna Towers was transferred from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate to the Benedictine Health System out of Duluth, which is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Scholastica. Under their direction, many changes and building additions later, Madonna Towers has evolved to include

Why Fast, cont'd from pg. 5

sion from the Holy See for Catholics to substitute another sacrifice or perform an act of charity instead.

Eastern Rite Catholics, meanwhile, follow the fasting laws of their own particular church.

In their 1966 Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops exhorted the faithful, on other days of Lent where fasting is not required, to “participation in daily Mass and a self-imposed observance of fasting.”

Aside from the stipulations, though, what's the point of fasting?

“The whole purpose of fasting is to put the created order and our spiritual life in a proper balance,” Deacon Carnazzo said.

As “bodily creatures in a post-fallen state,” it's easy to let our “lower passions” for physical goods supersede our higher intellect, he explained. We take good things for granted and reach for them whenever we feel like it, “without thinking, without reference to the One Who gives us the food, and without reference to the question of whether it’s good for us or not,” he added.

Thus, fasting helps “make more room for God in our life,” Monsignor Charles Pope, pastor of Holy Comforter/St. Cyprian Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. said.

“And the Lord said at the well, with the (Samaritan) woman, He said that 'everyone that drinks from this well is going to be thirsty again. Why don't you let me go to work in your life and I’ll give you a fountain welling up to Eternal Life.'”

independent living, assisted living, home health, short-term rehabilitation, memory care, two chapels and an expanded skilled nursing care center with 62 private rooms.

During this time, Madonna Towers has grown as an organization under the umbrella name of Madonna Living Community, which also includes Madonna Meadows of Rochester and Madonna Summit of Byron.

Director of Marketing Pam Mensink said, "Madonna Living Community is blessed to have a spiritual care team in addition to excellent

While fasting can take many forms, is abstaining from food especially important?

“The reason why 2000 years of Christianity has said food (for fasting), because food's like air. It's like water, it's the most fundamental,” Deacon Carnazzo said. “And that's where the Church says 'stop right here, this fundamental level, and gain control there.' It's like the first step in the spiritual life.”

What the Bible Says about It Yet why is fasting so important in the life of the Church? And what are the roots of the practice in Scripture?

The very first fast was ordered by God to Adam in the Garden of Eden, Deacon Carnazzo noted, when God instructed Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17).

This divine prohibition was not because the tree was bad, the deacon clarified. It was “made good” like all creation, but its fruit was meant to be eaten “in the right time and the right way.” In the same way, we abstain from created goods so we may enjoy them “in the right time and the right way.”

Fasting is also good because it is submission to God, he said. By fasting from the fruit of the tree, Adam and Eve would have become partakers in the Divine Nature through their obedience to God. Instead, they tried to take this knowledge of good and evil for themselves and ate the fruit, disobeying God and bringing Original Sin, death, and illness upon mankind.

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus abstained from food and water for 40 days and nights in the desert and thus “reversed what happened in the Garden of Eden,” Deacon Carnazzo explained. Like Adam and Eve, Christ was tempted by the devil but instead remained obedient to God the Father, reversing the disobedience of Adam and Eve and restoring our humanity.

Following the example of Jesus, Catholics are called to fast, said Fr. Lew. And the Church Fathers preached the importance of fasting.

Why Fasting Is So Powerful “The fast is the weapon of protection against demons,” taught St. Basil the Great. “Our Guardian Angels more really stay with those who have cleansed our souls through fasting.”

Why is fasting so powerful? “By setting aside this (created) realm where the devil works, we put ourselves into communion with another realm where the devil does not work, he cannot touch us,” Deacon Carnazzo explained.

It better disposes us for prayer, noted Monsignor Pope.

Because we feel greater hunger or thirst when we fast from food and water, “it reminds us of our frailty and helps us be more humble,” he said. “Without humility, prayer and then our experience of God really can't be unlocked.”

Thus, the practice is “clearly linked by St. Thomas Aquinas, writing within the Tradition, to chastity, to purity, and to clarity of mind,” noted Fr. Lew. “You can kind of postulate from that that our modernday struggles with the virtue of chastity, and perhaps a lack of clarity in theological knowledge, might be linked to an abandonment of fasting as well.”

A Brief History of Fasting The current fasting obligations were set in the 1983 Code of Canon Law, but in previous centuries, the common fasts among Catholics were stricter and more regularly observed.

Catholics abstained from meat on all Fridays of the year,

March & April, 2017 w The Courier

health care in order to care for the entire person – body, soul, mind and spirit."

Easter Friday excluded. During Lent, they had to fast – one meatless meal and two smaller meatless meals – on all days excluding Sunday, the day of the Resurrection.

The obligations extended to other days of the liturgical year. Catholics fasted and abstained on the vigils of Christmas and Pentecost Sunday, and on Ember Days – the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of St. Lucy on Dec. 13, after Ash Wednesday, after Pentecost Sunday, and after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in September – corresponding with the four seasons.

In centuries past, the Lenten abstention was more austere. Catholics gave up not only meat but also animal products like milk and butter, as well as oil and even fish at times.

Why are today's obligations in the Latin Rite so minimal?

The Church is setting clear boundaries outside of which one cannot be considered to be practicing the Christian life, Deacon Carnazzo explained. That is why intentionally violating the Lenten obligations is a mortal sin.

But should Catholics perform more than the minimum penance that is demanded? Yes, said Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P., who is currently studying for a Pontifical License in Sacred Theology at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. The minimum may be “what is due to God out of justice,” he explained, but we are “called not only to be just to God,” but also “to love God and to love our neighbor.”

Charity, he added, “would call us to do more than just the minimum that is applied to us by the Code of Canon Law today, I think.”

In Jeremiah 31: 31-33, God promises to write His law upon our hearts, Deacon Carnazzo noted. We must go beyond following a set of rules and love God with our hearts, and this involves doing more than what we are obliged to do, he added.

Be Wary of Your Motivation However, Fr. Lew noted, fasting “must be stirred up by charity.” A Catholic should not fast out of dieting or pride, but out of love of God. “It’s always dangerous in the spiritual life to compare yourself to other people,” he said, citing the Gospel of John where Jesus instructed St. Peter not to be concerned about the mission of St. John the Apostle but rather to “follow Me” (John 21: 20-23).

In like manner, we should be focused on God during Lent and not on the sacrifices of others, he said.

"We will often fail, I think. And that’s not a bad thing.

Because if we do fail, this is the opportunity to realize our utter dependence on God and His grace, to seek His mercy and forgiveness, and to seek His strength so that we can grow in virtue and do better,” he added.

And by realizing our weakness and dependence on God, we can “discover anew the depths of God’s mercy for us” and can be more merciful to others, he added.

Giving up good things may seem onerous and burdensome, but can – and should – a Catholic fast with joy?

“It’s referred to in the preface of Lent as a joyful season,” Fr. Lew said. “And it’s the joy of deepening our relationship with Christ and, therefore, coming closer to Him. It’s the joy of loving Him more, and the more we love God the closer we draw to Him.” “Lent is all about the Cross, and eventually the resurrection,” said Deacon Carnazzo. If we “make an authentic, real sacrifice for Christ” during Lent, “we can come to that day of the crucifixion and say, 'Yes Lord, I willingly with you accept the cross.' And when we do that, then we will behold the third day of resurrection.”

This article was originally published by CNA Feb. 20, 2016.

SUBMISSION to the calendar Please note: submission deadline is the 10th of the month prior to the month of publication.

All submissions must be sent electronically to nreller@dow.org by the deadline to assure receipt and possible inclusion in the Events Calendar.

Thank you for understanding that, due to space limitations, not all events nor story submissions will fit; however, we strive to include as many as possible.

A current list of events is also available at www.dow.org.

Action with Prayer St. Mary’s Church, Winona holds Mass for Life & Marriage the first Thursday each month at 8:30 a.m.

Holy Hour of Prayer for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty is held the first Saturday of each month 8:30-9:30 a.m. (after Mass) at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 360 Main Street, Winona. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed and a rosary offered. Gather in the Adoration Chapel. All welcome.

Prayer Vigil & Public Witness Against Abortion is held 3-4 p.m. Tuesdays in front of Semcac Clinic (delegate of Planned Parenthood) at 62 E 3rd Street in Winona. Contact: Patti (507) 429-4636 Masses of Reparation for Sins in the Diocese are held daily in parishes throughout the diocese. For times & locations: cb@wabashaemail.com

Traditional Latin Mass Chatfield, St. Mary's, 1st & 3rd Sun. 1 pm Mankato, Ss. Peter & Paul, 1st Sat. 9 am Wabasha, St. Felix, every Sat. 8 am

The Televised Mass

Other Events Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona April 7, Friday First Friday each month, the Cathedral hosts Cor Jesu, a night of Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, and Praise & Worship from 7-9 p.m. All welcome to attend; invite family & friends!

The Cathedral is at 360 Main St. in Winona. For details, search Winona Cor Jesu on Facebook, visit winonacorjesu.gitlab.io, or call Leandra (507-990-3402) or Steven (507-312-9041).

St. Mary's School, Caledonia April 7, Friday Annual fish fry at St. Mary's Gym (308 E South St. in Caledonia) from 4-8 p.m. Fish dinners include 3 pieces of cod, Irish potatoes, coleslaw, bun, and coffee or milk. $10.

Several basket and cash raffles available, with the grand prize of $3,000 to be given away.

Carry outs available by calling 507-725-5405.

Offered as a service for the homebound and elderly every Sunday on the following stations: KTTC, Channel 10 (Rochester) at 9 a.m. KEYC, Channel 12 (Mankato) at 7:30 a.m & KEYC-DT2, Digital Channel 12.2 or Charter Channel 19 (Mankato) at 9:30 a.m.

Donations for the continuation of this program may be sent to: TV Mass, PO Box 588, Winona MN 55987.

St. Paul's Church, Minnesota City April 9, Sunday Annual Church Festival 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Ham & scalloped potato dinner, silent auction, big ticket, and bake sale.

St. Stanislaus School, Winona April 22, Saturday The Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka will hold a Spring Craft/ Art/Gift Show in the St. Stan's school gym from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch will be available.

Come shop our many vendors!

St. Patrick's Church, Brownsville April 23, Sunday Breakfast in Breza Hall with big ticket & basket raffles, bake sale, silent auction and children's games. Following 8 a.m. Mass. Breakfast served til noon. French toast, southernstyle scrambled eggs, sausage, cheesy hash browns, fresh fruit, coffee, milk & orange juice. $7 adults. $3 kids 6-12.

Free under 6. The church is located at 604 Adams Street in Brownsville. More info: www. stpatrickschurchbrownsvillemn. org.

St. Casimir's Church, Wells April 29, Saturday Life in the Spirit seminar 8 a.m.

- 5 p.m. Come learn about the Gifts of the Spirit. Suggested donation of $20 includes lunch and handouts. For more information or to register, please call 507-380-5746 or the parish office at 507-553-5391.

Assisi Heights, Rochester April 30 - May 6, Sun. - Sat. Retreat: Remain in My Love.

Archbishop Harry J. Flynn, D.D., presents. $450 (includes meals and lodging). Commuter discount rate: $250 (includes meals). Info and registration: 507-282-7441, ext. 195 or ahsc@rochesterfranciscan.org.

Hosanna Lutheran Church, Mankato April 30, Sunday Options for Women pregnancy center in Mankato will hold a fundraiser at Hosanna Lutheran Church (105 Hosanna Drive in Mankato) at 3 p.m., featuring musical group Sister.

Sister inspires, supports and transforms the lives of audiences. These three real-life sisters from Hanska, MN, believe we can inspire each other to greatness. A tax deductible freewill offering will be available.

Calvary Cemetery, Rochester May 13, Saturday At 11 a.m. Bishop Edward A. Fitzgerald Assembly 548 of the Knights of Columbus will pray a Living Rosary for the Unborn on the 100th anniversary of Our Blessed Mother appearing in Fatima. Everyone is invited to attend and participate. The cemetery is located at 500 11th Ave NE in Rochester. For more information, call Alan at 507421-3205.

St. Felix Church, Wabasha June 12, Monday The St. Felix Church ladies and St. Mary's Court #208 National Society of Foresters will co-host their annual Salad Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the St. Felix auditorium. This year's theme is "God Bless America." Tickets are $8 in advance, $9 at the door. National Catholic Society of Foresters will match funds raised, up to $750.

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Holy Spirit Retreat Center, Lake Elysian June 24-30, Sat. - Fri. Retreat: Wisdom of St. Francis for the 21st Century. Sr. Kathy Warren, OSF, presents. $425 (includes meals and lodging).

Commuter discount rate: $275 (includes meals). For info and registration: 507-234-5712 or retreat@frontiernet.net.

Pax Christi Church, Rochester June 25, Sunday Retirement celebration for Fr. Joe Fogal from 12-3 p.m. Fr. Joe will celebrate all Masses June 24-25 (6/24 at 5:15 p.m. and 6/25 at 7:30, 9:00 and 10:45 a.m.) Pax Christi is located at 4135 18th Ave. NW in Rochester.

Hispanic Priests / Sacerdotes Hispanos Padre José Morales Vicario Parroquial de Sacred Heart, Owatonna. jloralesr2008@yahoo.es Tel. 507-451-1588 Padre Luis Alfonso Vargas Vicario Parroquial de St. Francis of Assisi, Rochester frluisvargasdw@gmail.com Tel. 507-288-7313 Padre Mariano Varela IVE Párroco de “SS. Peter and Paul”, Mankato. mvarela@hickorytech.net Tel. 507-388-2995 ext. 103

Padre Miguel Eduardo Proaños Vicario Parroquial de St. James, St James. frmiguel2005@yahoo.com Tel. 507-375-3542 Padre Ubaldo Roque Vicario Parroquial de St. Mary’s, Worthington. el_hermano_roque@hotmail.com Tel. 507-440-9735 Padre Raul Silva Vicario de la Pastoral Hispana en la diócesis de Winona Y Párroco de Queen of Angels, Austin.

PadreRaulSilva@gmail.com Tel. 507-433-1888

Spanish Mass Schedule Albert Lea, St. Theodore Owatonna, Sacred Heart 11:45 a.m. Sunday 11 a.m. Sunday Austin, Queen of Angels Pipestone, St. Leo 11 a.m & 5 p.m. 2:30 p.m. Sunday (bilingual) Sunday; 5:15 Friday Rochester, St. Lake City, St. Mary 6:30 p.m. each 3rd Saturday Francis of Assisi 12 p.m. Sunday & 7 Madelia, St. Mary p.m. Thursday 10 a.m. Sunday St. Charles, St. Mankato, Ss. Peter & Paul Charles Borromeo 11:30 a.m. Sunday 1 p.m. Sunday

St. James, St. James 12 p.m. Sunday Waseca, Sacred Heart 11:30 a.m. Sunday Windom,St.FrancisXavier 2:30 p.m. Sunday Worthington, St. Mary 7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. Sunday; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday & Friday March & April, 2017 w The Courier

March & April, 2017 • The Courier